False eyelashes, and the reason for wearing them, are well known in the cosmetic arts. People are often dissatisfied with the look of their eyelashes or simply wish to don eyelashes that are more suitable to a particular occasion. False eyelashes can have different curl, color, fullness, length, or other physical characteristics which can enhance the appearance of the wearer. While eyelash-enhancing cosmetic products, such as mascara, are available to improve these characteristics, even greater enhancements are possible through the use of false eyelashes.
False eyelashes typically consist of synthetic, human or animal hairs that are attached or tied to an elongated substrate. The substrate can be a textile or non-woven material having a skin-facing surface and an outward-facing surface. The false eyelash hairs are tied or adhered to the outward-facing surface. The skin-facing surface is impregnated with a pressure-sensitive adhesive that is used to temporarily affix the false eyelash to the wearer's eyelid. Alternatively, an adhesive substance can be applied directly to the eyelid and the false eyelash is then attached to the eyelid by placing the skin-facing surface over the adhesive substance.
False eyelashes in the prior art suffer from a number of disadvantages. These disadvantages include but are not limited to the following. First, they are typically single-use items. That is, once applied and removed they may not be reused. The act of applying adhesive and removing a false eyelash has a tendency to deform the substrate and/or eyelash hairs. Therefore, after one use, the false eyelash must usually be discarded. Second, false eyelashes are difficult to apply. Often, the false eyelash is not perfectly aligned with the wearer's eyelid and must be re-applied. If the adhesive bond has set in, removing the eyelash in order to relocate it can result in deformation of the false eyelash and the need to use a new false eyelash. Third, the adhesive materials used in prior art false eyelashes can irritate some wearers' eyes and/or skin and can often leave a residue on the wearer's eyelid which is often difficult to remove. Fourth, the adhesive materials used in prior art false eyelashes can lose holding power as it is exposed throughout the day to oils secreted by the wearer's eyelid, resulting in false eyelashes that come loose from the eyelid. Fifth, false eyelashes in the prior art are limited in the number of hairs that can be applied to the substrate and therefore sometimes do not add sufficient fullness to the wearer's eyelashes.